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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22592734">Rising Untangled</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/MagicalReads/pseuds/MagicalReads'>MagicalReads</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fallout 3, Rise of the Guardians (2012), Tangled (2010)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>17th Century, Alternate Universe - 1950s, Alternate Universe - Pirate, Angst, Crossover, F/M, Fluff, Galaxy News Radio, Grinding, Hate to Love, Jackunzel - Freeform, Jackunzel Week (Disney/Rise of the Guardians), Love at First Sight, Mild Smut, Obsession, Pirates, RotBTD, Sexual Tension, Soulmates, Strippers &amp; Strip Clubs, Time Travel</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 11:27:08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>12,860</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22592734</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/MagicalReads/pseuds/MagicalReads</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A book where I put my all into rushed, one-shot writing. Filled with alternate universes, crossovers, fluff, and more. None of these stories follow each other unless marked otherwise.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Jack Frost (Guardians of Childhood)/Rapunzel (Disney)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Index</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><strong>1. Lost and Found</strong> (A strip club and time travel)<br/><strong>2. Unexpected</strong> <strong>Detour</strong> (Returning to Vault-101)<br/><strong>3. The Missing Piece</strong> (Drive-In...to the void of an unfinished puzzle)<br/><strong>4. Journey Home</strong> (Pirates)</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Lost and Found (M)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Set in the 1950's, in which Jack is a time traveller runaway, and Rapunzel a dancer.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Fridays at the joint always pulled the biggest of crowds, and tonight wasn't an exception.</p><p>"Go get em', Goldy," Tarot slipped his hand off of Rapunzel's bare shoulder so she could pull her shawl on and fix the pins holding the two rolls on top of her head. His teeth shone bright against dark skin as he smiled proudly. "Little Moonlight's shining star!"</p><p>Rapunzel felt a rush of red flush her cheeks at the compliment. So desperate to get off the streets, Rapunzel hadn't even expected a glance from Tarot when she walked into his joint all but two years ago. She knew she was a sight for sore eyes, but time had been wearing her down to the bone, despite her young adulthood. She'd wasted too long in a blurry blast after high school was over and done with that she'd drunken herself dry—quite literally right to the pavement. Thinking about which hole she'd be in right about now hadn't it been for the Little Moonlight made her scared to bits.</p><p>"The socs are in tonight," Tarot added just before she could push the curtain aside. "Show em' a good time."</p><p>Rapunzel smiled right back. "I always do, Daddy-O," she promised. She only vaguely remembered feeling jittery her first time dancing in front of the socs, which was a tickle in itself considering she used to be a part of their crowd. She'd learned fairly quickly that their presence was something to be revelled in; They were quieter than the Moonlight's usual customers, and their stacks of loose dough made her want to perform at the absolute tip top of her abilities.</p><p>The crowd cheered as she slowly curled against the curtain, taking her rightful place onstage as the music roared to life. Rapunzel moved seamlessly with the trumpets flaring against soft piano. Though she'd always preferred dancing the doo-wop, there was something about jazz that ignited a spark deep inside Rapunzel. It was nostalgic, a sound to get lost in, and it was perfect for a sleazy club like this one.</p><p>Rapunzel looked up to give a rewarding look to the table of socs sitting in the corner, impossible to miss, only to lock eyes with another man standing still in the crowd. The room erupted as Mer and Poppy strolled out behind Rapunzel, but his crystal blue eyes stayed firmly on her. The nerve of him! Showing up around her all week only to ignore her—or, worse yet, <em>disappear</em>—each time she'd craved from him approach her. The least he could have done was introduce himself like a proper gentleman. Then again, no <em>proper</em> gentleman would come <em>here, </em>if they weren't hangin' with the socs. Everyone worth a dime knew that being seen in a place like the Little Moonlight as a lone social was simply <em>asking </em>to be treated like a lowly greaser. Thing was, this man didn't look like he was a part of either crowd. His attire screamed social, but his attitude yelled greaser. So which in the devil was he? Rapunzel had figured out how to woo the dough out of every kind of man who walked in here, but she couldn't figure out how to wrap her finger around this odd ball. Hell, she wasn't even sure she <em>wanted </em>to wrap her finger around him. She wasn't even sure if...</p><p>Rapunzel practically shook her head mid-dance in realization. Enough <em>not knowing. </em>This was her territory, and <em>she</em> was in control here.</p><p>Easy as cutting a smooth slice of pie, Rapunzel tuned out the prying <em>hey, dolly</em>'s from overly cranked men and shifted all her efforts into wooing the silver-haired one from her place on stage. She moved gracefully, long hair swishing to and fro, all the while never taking her eyes away from him for more than a second. No matter how much she hated to admit it to herself, Rapunzel didn't want him to disappear again. There was a strange curiosity to him that she needed to figure out. He was a spark in the darkness she couldn't <em>help</em> to be drawn to.</p><p>"A dreamboat that one, isn't he?" Poppy commented over the sound, catching on to Rapunzel's motives. Over the heads of bobbing men, she caught Merida smirking at her too. Rapunzel knew they'd be asking questions at the apartment later—no sense turning back now. And besides...</p><p>Their focus was on something else now. When Rapunzel turned to look, she was surprised to see Silver Hair moving through the crowd.</p><p><em>Toward</em> the stage.</p><p>Her stomach flipped and flopped, an army of butterflies erupting through her. <em>Cool it</em>, <em>Raps,</em> she told herself. <em>You're being ridiculous. </em>But her heart made no attempt to listen. She strutted toward the stranger, then crouched slightly on her heels until she found herself slightly higher than eye-level.</p><p>Something glimmered in the man's eyes, a mixture of lust Rapunzel recognized all too well, but another she found herself completely at loss about. "Crescent Moon?" He asked, referencing to her show name. Tarot had been the one to suggest the change from her previous one once he'd deemed her the star of his joint.</p><p>"The one and only," Rapunzel purred.</p><p>He lifted a hand, revealing a fan of dough between his fingertips. "Mind if I take you to the back?"</p><p>Rapunzel eyed him up and down. He was pretty. Scrawnier than her usual customers, wearing an unbuttoned light blue and white chemise tucked into sandy-coloured pants. His hair was lightly gelled into a trunk do, an alluring white she'd only ever seen on old folks. He was mesmerizing to watch, but that didn't stop Rapunzel from standing right back up to her full height. She felt taller than she naturally was, and not only because of the stilettos on her feet. The socs loved getting what they wanted, and the greasers preferred a cat-and-mouse chase, so what would happen if she gave someone that was neither <em>both?</em></p><p>"After the show." She told him as she walk away. Only sparing him a single glance over her shoulder proved difficult. She'd expected him to disappear by the time the girls and she were done with their dance, and he did—or so she thought. She spotted a silver head quickly after, lurking by the back hall.</p><p>"Split the tips with Mer, Popsikins." Rapunzel gave her friend a wink, thinking of the doll of a shop they lived over. She didn't need more money than what she'd earned in between her skin and underclothes. "Get yourself those rockin' shoes you were eyeing."</p><p>Poppy squealed as Rapunzel walked away, right past Silver Hair and into the hall. She could feel his eyes on her as she walked. Neither of them said a word until she pushed through a door. The man shut it behind them, taking one, two steps toward her. He stopped just before where she sat on the arm of the sofa.</p><p>"Nineteen." Was all he said. Rapunzel expected more to come, but he simply stared at her as if she was supposed to understand what he'd meant.</p><p>"Dollars or minutes?"</p><p>The man shook his head. "Your age. You can be more than nineteen."</p><p>Rapunzel shifted. "Twenty-two, actually." It felt strange, saying that; She didn't usually reveal her age to customers. Not that they ever asked, anywho. All they ever came for was a dance to make them forget their lousy lives outside of the club. More than a dance, if they were trusted to keep it under the table. The fuzz hadn't caught em' yet, and Tarot had no intention of getting a shut down.</p><p>"Just a year younger than me," the man noted. "How'd a sweet girl like you end up in a place like this?"</p><p>"A sweet girl like—?" Rapunzel bit her tongue. Tarot's rules included <em>no talk backs, </em>unless our fella's were pushin'. And this man wasn't even coming close to pushin'. "It's a gig," she said instead. "And I enjoy it, in all truthfulness."</p><p>"But why?"</p><p>A laugh escaped Rapunzel's lips. "Are you writing a book?"</p><p>Silver Hair shrugged. "I guess you can say that."</p><p>Rapunzel shook her head slightly, mesmerized by his straight tone; No added lah-dee-dah lilted his voice. "You've such an odd way with words," she said. "I didn't mean it <em>literally,</em> though, if you are, congratulations<em>. </em>You're just askin' too many questions, is all." Rapunzel cleared her throat when no reply was given. She motioned to the sofa, giving the man her best heavy-lidded, green-eyed look. "So, whatcha' waitin' for, then? Come on, have a seat."</p><p>But the man closed his eyes briefly and breathed a soft sort of laugh. Then, he took a step back, offering a hand out to her. "Dance withme."</p><p>Rapunzel lifted her brows in surprise. "You're asking for a doo-wop?"</p><p>"Something a little slower," a playful smirk grew on the man's lips. "With a kiss, if you're willing."</p><p>A flush rushed to her cheeks, thankfully hidden by the dimmed yellow lights in the room. "The Little Moonlight doesn't do no kissin'."</p><p>"Even with special cases?"</p><p>Rapunzel breathed a short laugh and took the hand still being offered. She found herself being pulled tight against Silver Hair's chest. "Alright," she decided. "Razz my berries. What makes you a special case, mister...?"</p><p>"Jackson Overland," he was quick to answer. "But call me Jack." Hands slipped over her waist as Rapunzel lay her arms loosely around Jack's neck. "And let's see... I'm handsome, you like me, and I'm leaving tonight. I've already been here too long."</p><p>"Leavin' where?"</p><p>"Are <em>you </em>writing a book?"</p><p>Rapunzel couldn't help but laugh. "I see. Peggin' my own words against me. That's not very gentlemanly of you."</p><p>"Who says I'm a gentleman?" Jack spun her around, dropping her into a smooth dip. He brought his head down to her until his lips were but an inch from her own. The heat curling against her mouth warmed other parts of her. He dipped down slightly more, coming closer and closer, until he suddenly pulled her right back up to their earlier swing.</p><p>Rapunzel felt breathless. "Actor," she mumbled playfully. But all she received from Jack was a frown.</p><p>"Slang?" He guessed after a moment.</p><p>"For a show off, yeah." Rapunzel pushed Jack down, suddenly, right onto the sofa she knew they'd moved in front of. She fell swiftly with him, landing right on his lap. "Don't cha leave the house?"</p><p>Jack grinned, hands tightening over her hips ever so slightly. "Haven't been home in a while, actually."</p><p>Rapunzel shifted on his lap, earning a pleasured groan in return. "Maybe this is a good time to go back."</p><p>Jack grinned lazily, chuckling like she'd just told a panic-and-a-half. "I don't think so."</p><p>"Why not?" Rapunzel questioned. "Everyone should enjoy being home."</p><p>Jack was quiet for a while as she rubbed her hands soothingly over his neck and shoulders. She couldn't understand why he felt as intoxicating as he did. "I... Got in trouble," he said finally, glancing her down and up again. "For stealing something and using it to travel."</p><p>Rapunzel slipped a hand up to his cheek, petting her thumb over his skin. Her voice came out soft. "Why don't cha bring it back?"</p><p>Jack leaned into her touch, whether out of consciousness or not, Rapunzel didn't know. "I'll be in a <em>lot </em>more trouble if do."</p><p>She brushed the curl away from Jack's forehead as he spoke, watching as it fell back into place. "Maybe it's not as bad as you think it is."</p><p>"I stole the only copy they successfully made, Rapunzel. It took them a <em>year </em>before they could make a replica. Trust me, it's as bad as I think."</p><p>Rapunzel stiffened at the mention of her name. <em>No one </em>knew her as someone outside of Crescent Moon here, save from the crew. "How did you—?"</p><p>A flash of hurt suddenly passed in Jack's eyes. He looked away as soon as he caught her looking. "It doesn't matter." He said. Except, it did. He'd known her name all along! Was it a slip up? Did he even <em>mean </em>to let her know he knew?</p><p>"Of course it matters!" Rapunzel exclaimed. This had never happened before. She didn't know what to do anymore, now that she'd lost her invisibility.</p><p>Rapunzel tried to step off of Jack, but his hands kept her still. "Wait!" He said. "Stay. <em>Please. </em>Let me... Let me explain.<em>"</em></p><p>Reluctantly, she obliged. "Alrighty, then. Go on."</p><p>Jack closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the sofa for a few seconds. He looked her right back in the eyes when he was done his thinking. "It took me <em>years </em>to find you again. You really don't remember me, Punz?"</p><p><em>Punz</em>. Something about the new nickname jogged at her memory, but nothing came forward.</p><p>"We met in 1951. You were seventeen; I was twenty. You were working at this diner, just about to graduate, and—When I stole the <em>porter, </em>it was an accident. I got myself in with the wrong gang, and I didn't wanna go to jail. I didn't know where to go so I... I pressed every button on the <em>porter </em>ended up jumping—right into that damn diner."</p><p>Rapunzel was shaking her head now, refusing to remember. It felt the same as if a word she couldn't pinpoint—but <em>knew </em>she knew—was hangin' at the tip of her tongue. <em>Rhona's Diner. </em>She never thought much about why she always took the long walk to the Little Moonlight.</p><p>"They caught us in '64," Jack continued. "You'd never seen the ocean, and you were finally ready to jump into the future, even if it was just by over a decade. They appeared right when we were about to—" He cut his gaze down, suddenly, red tinting his pale skin. But, despite the zorros, Rapunzel was surprised to hear how choked up his next words were getting. "We got separated, running. You didn't know how to use the <em>porter, </em>so I had it." She felt his finger play affectionately with the curls falling over her hips. He couldn't look her in the eyes, but Rapunzel saw the pain written over him nonetheless. "I watched them take you, Punz. I watched them take you away from me."</p><p>Rapunzel straightened in his lap as she took in a gulp of air. "If any of this is true, then what in the heaven's am I doin' here sittin' in this joint?"</p><p>"They must've taken you in for questioning, probably about me," Jack answered. "And then they obviously dropped you right back in your timeline like I'd hoped. Didn't know why I was surprised to find out your memories about me were wiped. Those assholes." He added, lost in thought.</p><p>"That's why you weren't approaching me all week," Rapunzel realized. "You were waitin' to see me run up to you all over the moon to have you back."</p><p>Jack nodded. "I couldn't stand talking to you like none of it ever happened."</p><p>Rapunzel realized that her heart was quickening as she looked into his crystal blue eyes. She'd felt drawn to him from the moment she'd seen him walk by, something that had never happened to her before. And then when he appeared at the club...</p><p>It dawned on her, suddenly. Those two years she'd thought she'd lost to parties and shenanigans—they weren't a blurred mess of alcohol-induced amnesia. She'd spent them with <em>him. </em>Workin' at the diner. Travelling to the past.</p><p>
  <em>Falling in love.</em>
</p><p>It dawned on her just as the fuzz appeared out of thin air behind them. She only had time to twist and catch Tarot's apologetic eye before they lifted guns flashing bright blue sparks, and forced her and Jack into bad night's sleep.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Well, this didn't exactly end like I originally planned it to at all, haha.</p><p>This is my first time participating in prompts of any kind, (so bare with me, and I'm sorry if it was long!), but I had a blaaast writing this one, and I'm *super duper* excited for next week! Just a little hint—It might be a video game crossover... But I'm not sure yet. ;) See you then!</p><p>(Part of the Jackunzel February Special 2020)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Unexpected Detour</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Rapunzel is out journaling for Galaxy News Radio when she receives an alerting distress signal from the Vault she's just escaped.</p><p>I highly recommend listening to the Fallout Radio while reading this. :) Also, this is basically a Butch and Lone Wanderer fanfic with the Big Four instead of the Fallout characters lol. Enjoy!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>"This is an automated distress message from Vault-Tec: Vault 101. Message begins: It feels like you left home a long time ago, but I know you're still out there. I just hope you're still alive to hear this. Things got worse after you left. The new Overseer is insane. If you can hear this, please stop looking for your dad and help save us. I changed the door password to my name. If you're hearing this, and you still care enough to help me, you should remember it. Message repeats."</em>
</p><p>Rapunzel listened to the emergency frequency one last time before switching it off. She sat on a boulder just outside Megaton, gazing in the distance to where she knew Vault-101 lay. She couldn't go back... Not after how she'd left things.</p><p>Not after she'd...</p><p><em>Please stop looking for your dad and help us. </em>Merida's voice replaced the empty sounds of Wasteland wildlife around her. Rapunzel and Merida had been best friends ever since she and her parents arrived at the Vault. Rapunzel hadn't remembered much of anything from her childhood in the Wasteland. They were the first outsiders to their knowledge knew to enter a sealed Vault, and the only reason they were even let in in the first place was because the Overseer had been so desperate for a doctor, and her dad was the best of the best. She'd learned that no one left or entered <em>any </em>of the Commonwealth Vaults, because the outside world was much too dangerous—and it was, what with the raiders, and the enclave, and the mutations running freely about. But it was far from being uninhabitable as they'd made it seem in class. Megaton itself proved just that.</p><p>"Welcome. To. Megaton," she heard the protectron say over the wind. "Friendliest. Town. Around."</p><p>Rapunzel whipped her head back to see a caravan had approached the entrance. She'd come down from Galaxy News Radio for news, and a quick supply hunt at the Super Duper Mart on the way. She had a mission to do. But what if this was a <em>bigger </em>story than Tenpenny Tower's failed attempt to detonate Megaton's notorious bomb? Heck, maybe Tadashi, Vault-101's scientist, might know how to finally diffuse it, making Three Dog's original news source essentially worthless compared to this.</p><p>But despite all of the rational excuses Rapunzel found to follow Merida's distress signal, she knew the underlying reason she wanted to go so badly was because she was curious to see how the people she'd grown up with had made out after her departure. She hadn't even meant to leave that dreary morning. She'd expected to spend her life following Vault-101's motto, <em>we are born in the vault, we live in the vault, and we die in the vault. </em>If dad hadn't upped and run away without a word, that might very well have been her life. Though, she supposed the motto and she hadn't exactly been on the brightest of terms when her mother gave birth to her in the Wasteland.</p><p>She'd met Three Dog, the anchor of Galaxy News Radio and one of her dads old friends, about a week after she'd run away from the Vault. He knew a lot about her past, something he let her know quite quickly. He knew she, her parents, and aunt Gothel had been born out here, in the Wasteland themselves. But he also knew it had been in a faraway place called Boston. He also confessed that he'd seen her dad pass by not too long after she showed up. After spending an entire day running around DC as him and his radio's personal scavenger, he finally told her what mission her dad had been so set on.</p><p>And the truth scared Rapunzel to bits.</p><p>She shook her head for a few seconds, running a hand through her ponytail while she stared at the Pip-Boy on her other wrist. The caravan rolled past her on the dirt road. Rapunzel gazed at the two-headed brahmin with the heaps of luggage strapped to its back. They were most likely heading toward Springvale, the wreckage of a town just outside the Vault.</p><p>Rapunzel stood, shaking the dirt off of her pants. Merida was asking her to help. <em>Her. </em>Thing's must've gotten pretty bad in the Vault after she'd escaped, then, if she was willing to reach out to her so easily. She looked back at Megaton with a sigh. Three Dog would understand that she couldn't just walk away.</p><p>She never could.</p><p>***</p><p>M-E-R-I-D-A. <em>Access granted, </em>the keypad flashed before a hiss of air sounded and the now-familiar alarm started beeping. Oh so slowly, the gear-shaped door of Vault-101 pulled backwards and rolled itself open. Rapunzel wasted no time running inside before anyone could seal it back up but, to her utter surprise, there was no one in sight when she made it in. She hurried up the metal stairs and closed the door back up herself. She knew keeping it open was smarter in regards to keeping a quick escape route available if she found herself unwelcome, but she refused to risk another radroach infestation like her dad did when <em>he </em>left—or worse.</p><p>Rapunzel gripped the pistol at her hip as she slowly walked toward the door she knew would lead to her old home. Something felt off. It was too quiet.</p><p>Suddenly, the door slid open before her. Rapunzel gasped, yanking out her pistol for fire.</p><p>"Stop right there!" Officer Haddock exclaimed, crumbs still stuck to his chin. "How did you get in—? Wait," he looked Rapunzel up and down in bewilderment. "It's you. The Overseer ordered me to bring you to her if you ever came back."</p><p>"<em>Her?</em>" Rapunzel questioned, Merida's distress signal running through her head. "It's nice to see you again, Officer Haddock, but could you tell me who, exactly, was chosen as Overseer after Dunbroch..." <em>died. </em>The word hung loosely in the air, too horrible to speak aloud.</p><p>Officer Haddock hiccupped a laugh. "<em>Chosen </em>really isn't the word I'd use here." He shifted the grip on his gun, glancing behind him. "Listen, Punzel," he whispered. "I know who you are—sweet as doll, just like your parents were. But I'll be honest, not a lot of people like you in the Vault no more. I'll do you the same favour I did your dad—leave the Vault quietly and don't get trapped inside our mess. No one's gonna know you stopped by but me."</p><p>It was a good offer, but Rapunzel shook her head. "I heard Merida's distress signal. She was my best friend, I can't just ignore her."</p><p>Officer Haddock lowered his head as if this was exactly the answer he'd expected. "Your heart's too big, kid. But go see her. And please, for the sake of me keeping my limbs—don't let the Overseer see I let you through without bringing you to her, okay?"</p><p>"I won't let her hurt you," Rapunzel promised. Even though she and Hiccup Haddock had never been close friends, she could never bear the thought of him losing his father to her, too. Officer Haddock opened the door to the hall for her. The first thing she noticed when she reached the second floor were the barricades. The second, was how incredibly unorganized and unclean the Vault had become.</p><p>What in the world had happened here?</p><p>"And if it isn't my little blondie." A voice suddenly said. "Never thought I'd see the day."</p><p>Rapunzel whipped around to see a familiar Tunnel Snake leaning against a makeshift wall behind her. She scowled, despite the heat rushing to her cheeks, and crossed her arms. "I'm not <em>yours,</em> Jack."</p><p>"Never said you were." Jack lifted a dark brow. "But I gotta say, the Vault hasn't been the same without you to play with."</p><p>"You're really calling you and your gang <em>bullying</em> my best friend <em>playing?</em>" Rapunzel exclaimed, an anger she only ever felt around him boiling through her heart. "You're absolutely ridiculous, Jack DeLoria. You know that, right?"</p><p>Jack smirked. "Don't take it too personally when I say the rest of the Vault doesn't exactly share your opinion. Well, other than your crazy—"</p><p>"That's because the rest of the Vault is <em>scared </em>of you!" Rapunzel interrupted with a sharp exhale. "I don't understand why. You're nothing but a terrified momma's boy."</p><p>Jack flinched slightly at her words, something she only slightly relished in. Rapunzel had saved her from getting chewed up by radroaches just before her escape. Jack himself had been the one to beg for her help, given his phobia of the giant critters. If she'd have stayed any longer, she might have been able to use it against him the next time he tried harassing she and Merida.</p><p>"How is she, by the way?"</p><p>"Fine." Jack quickly shot out.</p><p>"Really?" Rapunzel questioned.</p><p>Jack suddenly couldn't meet her eyes, almost making Rapunzel feel bad for pushing. "Let's just say she decided she liked getting drunk a bit too much. Not someone I like being around." He brightened, suddenly, as much as the leader of the Tunnel Snakes could. "Besides, I have other things to worry about. A lot of us here wanna get out of this hell hole. So, tell me, blondie, how'd you manage to get past Officer Haddock?"</p><p>Rapunzel shook her head, unable to believe how quickly he'd changed the topic. Was he really so detached from his emotions he couldn't even talk about what happened with his own mom? Last Rapunzel had checked, Mrs. Deloria was the complete opposite of her son—kind, and warm. So what made her shift her dependence from constantly being around people to alcohol? </p><p>Suddenly, the rest of what Jack said registered to Rapunzel's head. "You want to leave? <em>Why?"</em></p><p>It was Jack's turn now to cross his arms. He took a step closer. "And here I thought you weren't as brain-dead as the others. We've always wanted to leave, the Tunnel Snakes and I. Now that the Vault's in shambles, it's our time to shine."</p><p>"If you can get past Officer Haddock." Rapunzel argued. "I'm guessing he doesn't want his little boy wandering out into the dangerous Wasteland, huh?"</p><p>Jack shifted closer. "Ah, and there's the smarts I know."</p><p>"Shut it, Deloria."</p><p>"So harsh!" Jack lay his hand flat against his chest. "You break my heart."</p><p>Rapunzel cocked her head. "I wasn't aware you had one. Good to know."</p><p>A slow smirk found itself to Jack's lips again, warning he was about to say something particularly irritable. "And why's that? Punzel's got the hot's for Jack-y?"</p><p>Rapunzel groaned in annoyance, forcing herself to hold her stance even when she noticed how close Jack had gotten. "Where's Merida?" She demanded, forcing the conversation back to the point. "I'm sure you'd know, considering you know everything."</p><p>"Right I do." Jack walked backwards, pulling the tension from Rapunzel's stomach away with him. He waved her to the side. "Follow me."</p><p>Jack led her inside the classroom, where the rest of the Snakes and Merida stood. "Look who I found wandering around," Jack announced.</p><p>Merida's piercing blue eyes shot to Rapunzel's, filled with a thousand knives. <em>Understandably, </em>Rapunzel thought. She hadn't meant for her father to die. "You got my message," she said. "Good. About time you showed up, too. Gotta say, I thought you'd be too busy with your freedom to remember us, so believe me when I say I'm glad to see you."</p><p>"I think you have my ego levels mixed up with Jack's," Rapunzel commented.</p><p>"Yeah?" Merida cocked her head. "Then prove it. Help us take down the Overseer, and leave this damned Vault. I still haven't forgiven you for murdering my father, but I might consider it if you help us."</p><p>"Mer," Rapunzel tried. "You know it was an accident, right? Please, you know I would never—"</p><p>"Alright," Jack interrupted. "Enough with the heart to hearts. Let's go, yeah? Blondie, you come with me."</p><p>"What?" Rapunzel shot. "I'm not going anywhere with you, thank you very much."</p><p>"Oh, but you're gonna like this," Jack smiled dangerously, dangling a piece of rope in the air. "You get to tie me up and pull my gorgeous hair."</p><p>Rapunzel scowled, glancing at the others to see if he was joking. "What are you going on about?"</p><p>"Your aunt wants the Tunnel Snakes taken down, and she wants you even more," Merida explained, somewhat impatiently. She put a finger to her bright red hair, which was pulled tightly into a low bun. "You're going to bring her to him, and put a bullet in her crazed head."</p><p>Rapunzel flinched away from the group, astounded by the absurd demand. "Excuse me?" She said. Aunt Dame would never do such a thing to Vault-101. She'd not once expressed a desire to become the Overseer either—that position was to be Merida's father's until his old age.</p><p>"I don't know why she's so obsessed," Merida said. "But I'm not leaving the Vault with her in charge."</p><p>"Dame's been nothing but kind!"</p><p>"A nice façade," Hiccup said from behind Merida. "Fooled all of us."</p><p>Rapunzel couldn't believe it—<em>wouldn't</em> until she saw it with her own eyes. So she grabbed the rope out of Jack's fingers, spun him around, and wrapped his wrists up tight.</p><p>"The Wasteland's done you good," there was a hint of veiled humour in Jack's tone as she let him go. He tested the rope's hold, but it didn't give. "If I would've known you were this feisty—"</p><p>Rapunzel grabbed a heap of chocolate brown hair and yanked him out of the room with her.</p><p>"You know, blondie," Jack struggled. "You don't actually have to pull my hair until we get to the Overseer's office."</p><p>"I know."</p><p>Jack chuckled. "Can't wait for you to tell me all about the Wasteland when we get outta here. I bet it's good stuff."</p><p>Rapunzel froze briefly. Did he honestly think she'd bring him back to Galaxy News Radio? Not a chance. If Jack wanted out so bad, he was going alone, with his precious Tunnel Snakes. "In your dreams." She said.</p><p>"I don't have dreams. Just reality."</p><p>"Reality has a track record of getting awfully boring," Rapunzel said. "Maybe that's why you're as horrible as you are."</p><p>Suddenly, Rapunzel's feet were swept right out from under her. She fell back into a room with Jack landing, (somewhat painfully), right on top of her. "You don't really think that, do you, blondie?" His breath was so warm against her lips it sent shivers down her spine.</p><p>"I..." Was all she could manage before he started talking again.</p><p>"Because that would <em>break my heart</em>." Rapunzel just had time to catch something dancing in his crystal blue eyes before his lips were upon hers. It was disgusting and wet the first few seconds, but then she found herself swimming in his kiss. He still couldn't move his hands, so Rapunzel did it for him. She cupped his jaw, pulling the Snake closer and closer until everything disappeared but him.</p><p>She didn't know why her body felt so compelled to ruin the moment.</p><p>"I'm resistant to the radiation!" She blurted out, shoving a hand to her lips. No one but her dad and Three Dog new that about her. It was why her dad had left in the first place—to study her. Though... Rumour had been going around lately about her situation, something that the radio had been trying hard to avoid talking about. <em>The Saint. The ghoul that looks and talks like a human, but can't possibly be.</em></p><p>Jack frowned, licking his lips. "And?"</p><p>"<em>And</em>," Rapunzel continued, "that means I'm mutated. That I get to live longer than the average human. I'm a monster, even if I don't look it like the other Ghouls. If the Wasteland knew it was me they've been hearing talk about..."</p><p>Jack rolled off of her, suddenly, something clicking in his eyes. "Of course!" He said. "That's why Dame wants you so bad. She wants to know how you did it."</p><p>Rapunzel sat up, sickness roiling through her body. "But she's never known I was like this."</p><p>Jack was shaking his head even before she started speaking. "Remember when she got put under lockdown? You were four, maybe." How could she forget? "You visited her every day after class."</p><p>Rapunzel nodded. "You made fun of me for it."</p><p>"Yeah. Well, I read a paper in her files when you asked me to go steal yours. Said she'd gotten her well-deserved time out for sending a signal out to her sister and reading the ones that were coming in from the outside behind The Overseer's back. She heard all of the stories about you. You and your parents showed up knocking at the door not too long after, and they actually let you in."</p><p>Rapunzel nodded again. It was all she seemed to be able to do now. "You read the files about me."</p><p>Jack shrugged. "Obviously."</p><p>Rapunzel pushed his chest, furious. "<em>I </em>didn't even read them! Dame just told me it was dangerous information that needed to be burnt away!"</p><p>"That didn't make you wanna read em' even more?"</p><p>"No!" Rapunzel closed her eyes. "I mean, yes, but she said it was safer for me if I didn't know."</p><p>Jack laughed. "Bull. Complete bull." With a restrained swing, he pulled himself to standing. Rapunzel was quick to follow suit. Almost immediately, he nudged her shoulder with his own and pushed her against the steel wall, holding her with his hips. His kiss wasn't nearly long enough. He completely pulled away, suddenly, and tipped his chin down with a smirk.</p><p>"Let's go."</p><p>Rapunzel slowly pushed her fingers through his hair and gripped. It only took a few words from Rapunzel to find out every suspicion Jack and his gang had about her aunt were true. It only took a carefully-placed bullet to the thigh to stop her from attacking her own niece. And it only took an inch of convincing for the dwellers to get the Wasteland freedom they've always deserved.</p><p>Though their fates were now irreversibly ripped to the open, Rapunzel knew one thing for certain:</p><p>Galaxy News Radio was in for one hell of a story.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I actually kind of wished I made this one a full-blown novel. Got kinda cut short, eh? But god was it fun to write! Maybe one day I'll lengthen it. :) But for noooow, you get the shortened version. ;) As I got started on this prompt awfully late, I didn't get much time to think out the next one lol. But I'll figure something out. I already have a vague idea of week 4, though! Hint in the next chapter!</p><p>Would you like to see a longer version of this one day?</p><p>(Part of the Jackunzel February Special 2020)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. The Missing Piece</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>In which Jack and Rapunzel are the centrepiece of an unfinished puzzle. Yes, that's right.</p><p>A puzzle.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Every day, the void became smaller, but it was always far too great to travel beyond. Jack stood leaning against his blue chevy impala, tossing pennies in the air in wait for a girl that would never come. He hadn't been able to keep his eyes off her since she'd started working at the Moonlight Drive-In's food joint. They hadn't always served food here—the building had only been built something but a few months ago, and Jack had yet to try out the snacks. He would have if he'd been able to walk over there but, for now, all he could do was observe from afar.</p><p>Her hair was bobbed, wavy and brown as bark. Just like the other girls, she wore a white-aproned purple skirt that fell just above her knees, and a purple-collared blouse. But what had first caught his eye was her smile, bright as the stars above, and genuine as a puppy's, obvious even from this far out. She was the most beautiful girl he'd yet to lay eyes on.</p><p>If it wasn't for the void, he'd have been over there in a jiffy. He'd have asked her to watch the latest flick with him on his hood, followed right up by the meteor shower. Surely she'd never caught well from behind that counter. A familiar clench in his chest came at the mere thought of her. Jack wanted more of her than the guy's tales of back seat bingo. He wanted to know her from the inside out, because he knew he'd love everything about her. The feeling in his gut told him that much.</p><p>The purity of her heart radiated right through the pitch black nothingness of the universe.</p><p>A group of giggling ankle biters swarmed past Jack, breaking him away from his admiring. "Hey, Jack!" Jamie said, running over to him. "Wanna play a game of hide and seek?"</p><p>Jack smiled warmly at the kid. "Not right now, Jamie. But I'll catch you later," he added when Jamie drooped with disappointment. "I got a new version of the game planned out that I think you'll like, too." And, just like that, his front-toothless smile slid right back on.</p><p>"Yay!" He exclaimed, about to run back off. He turned back before he could get too far. "Got some chalk for hopscotch?"</p><p>"I'll have to check the stocks," Jack answered, even though he knew there'd be a fresh stick in the glovebox. It was always there, fresh as a daisy. Jack sauntered over to the passenger's side of the car and poked his slender arm through the rolled window. Jamie ran off with a joyful yelp as soon as he handed it over to him. When he was lost in the sea of people and cars, Jack looked up at the sky just in time to see a sliver of darkness mold into soft, navy blue.</p><p>Every day, the void became smaller, piece by tiny little piece.</p><p>Every day, the Moonlight Drive-In healed itself from the single worldly rip until, one day, it didn't.</p><p>"Hey there, Daddy-o." A voice he'd never heard before said on the ninth day of nothingness. Jack glanced to the side to see a girl with stark white hair and eyes as blue as his leaning against his chevy."What's cookin,' good-lookin'?"</p><p>Jack glanced back at the sliver in the void, where the girl was serving a couple of movie-goers. "Nothing extraordinary." He knew it was impolite to not ask what was up with <em>her</em>, but Jack wasn't in the mood for flirting. He scanned the area casually for Jamie and his friends—they hadn't stopped by tonight, which made Jack wonder what shenanigans they were up to this evening. Worse yet, did they decide they no longer wanted him around?</p><p>The bleached-blonde bumped her shoulder against Jacks. When he looked at her, he saw her eyeing him and the Sliver. "Can't help but notice you been castin' an eyeball over at that brunette."</p><p>Jack jerked back. "Don't know what you mean."</p><p>Bleached-blonde groaned, rolling her eyes at Jack. "Oh, cool it. Don't play dumb with me, Jack. She's pretty."</p><p>Jack stilled. "How—?"</p><p>Bleached-blonde cocked her head to some invisible thing in the distance. "The kid told me. James, right? But you call 'im Jamie."</p><p>Jack lifted his brows. "You seem to know a whole lot."</p><p>"That's what happens when you go out and talk to people," Bleached-blonde laughed. "I'm Elsa." She held out a hand, which Jack hesitantly shook. She didn't stop staring even after they let go. "Would you believe me if I told you I met her before?"</p><p>Jack frowned at the thought. "Impossible."</p><p>Elsa looked away momentarily, shoulders drooping as she pouted. "Sweet girl. Not her type."</p><p>"Me?"</p><p>"<em>Me. </em>But that's beside the point. The point <em>is </em>I can get you over there."</p><p>Jack couldn't help but laugh. "Oh, yeah? How?" He went quiet as soon as he noticed what she was looking at.</p><p>The sliver in the void.</p><p>"You can't be serious."</p><p>Elsa smiled. "I'm the most serious girl you'll ever meet."</p><p>"That's a death's trap!" Jack exclaimed.</p><p>"Only if you let the darkness pull you in. Which—little survival tip—don't let it do that. I made that mistake once, and—" She shivered, "One of the worst things you'll ever experience. Unexplainable, to say the least."</p><p>Jack looked back at the Sliver, at the wisps of hungry black tendrils pressing against the thin path. It hadn't gotten wider in what felt like forever—would it ever go away, or were they destined to live like this forever? He looked up at the girl, then, her bright smile apparent even from this far away. It couldn't be a coincidence, his feelings for her. Jack knew he wasn't the type for love at first sight—especially when it came to girls he hadn't even met. But he couldn't ignore the pull trying to yank him toward her.</p><p>He looked up at the moon, almost not visible in the sky, and then he decisively turned back to Elsa. "Let me write a note to Jamie."</p><p>"Good choice." Elsa grinned. "Seeing you sulkin' every day was makin' everyone a bit sad. Come on, Daddy-o."</p><p>After scratching a note down and jamming it in the window with the chalk Jamie still hadn't come to fetch, Jack followed Elsa to the Sliver. She leaned in close to him as soon as their feet stopped moving.</p><p>"The thing about the Sliver is, most people try to run straight across to get in and out as soon as possible. But the trick is going slow. See, fella, it's a lot darker than it looks in there—you won't be able to see a thing but the moon when you're inside, so focus on walkin' a straight line, kay?"</p><p>Jack stared at her. "You're not coming?"</p><p>Elsa almost seemed insulted at the mere thought of that. "'Course I am. I'm goin' first, silly." She smiled mischievously. "Got my own pie face to visit. What? You didn't actually think I'd do all this just for you, did ya?"</p><p>Jack shrugged. "Can't blame a fella for thinking a stranger would do something out of the coldness of their hearts for em'."</p><p>"Ha!" Elsa moved forward, glancing at the girl through the Sliver. "And your heart's awfully warm for someone named Frost. Hers is Rapunzel, by the way."</p><p>"Ra-what?"</p><p>"Rapunzel."</p><p>Jack blinked. "What's that?"</p><p>"The name of the girl you're in love with, knuckle head."</p><p>"I'm not—"</p><p>"Oh, <em>please,</em>" Elsa rolled her eyes again, stepping into the darkness. Her voice was nearly completely muffled now as she yelled out. "See you on the other side!"</p><p>A chill raked over Jack. He'd had a feeling about today—a good one. He hadn't been sure what it was about, exactly, and he still wasn't. Surely it wasn't <em>this. </em>Not this uncomfortable knot in his stomach he couldn't manage to untie.</p><p>It was a strange thing, feeling as if the world around him was pulling him back into place and tugging him forward simultaneously.</p><p>With that, Jack closed his eyes and stepped into the abyss. The first thing he noticed was how he didn't hear a loud nothingness like he thought he would; the sound of whistling wind drowned the world out just as much as the darkness did. The second thing was the sense of levitating. Though he could feel the soft ground under his feet, he could also feel how, a few inches on each side of his feet, it all disappeared, devoured by the universe, awaiting creation.</p><p>It was like holding a piece of information on his tongue; Jack was positive he knew what lay beyond, but he couldn't remember no matter how much he thought of it. <em>Don't let it pull you in, </em>Elsa had told him. But he couldn't help it. The thoughts of beyond devoured him whole, blowing him up with a curiosity he never had the chance to release.</p><p>Desperate, Jack opened his eyes, only to find himself lost and terrified. <em>The moon. </em>He looked up at what had to be the sky, finding the bright orb instantly. He'd only barely seen it through the Sliver before, so high in the sky it was clouded. I swelled a balloon of hope inside of him, spurring him on one more step, then another.</p><p>Everything was going splendid, given the circumstances, until he looked down for Rapunzel, not remembering he could no longer see anything but pitch black. A wrenching feeling warped inside of him. He swung his gaze back up, disoriented, and searched desperately for the moon, only to find it wasn't where it had just been. Jack stopped hard in his track, suffocation threatening to overtake him. The void wanted him badly. The tickling wisps wrapping themselves around his limbs over and over proved that right. And then there was the voice, so luring he was almost tempted to follow it without thought.</p><p>
  <em>"Jack?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Jack, come to me!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Follow my voice."</em>
</p><p>Jack fell to his hands and knees and gripped the edges of the path. Slowly, he moved forward, noticing how the voice was become louder and louder with every step. As long as he followed the road, he'd emerge on one side of the void or the other. Jack carefully trekked on until something clamped hard on his right hand. A yell tore through him, the pinch on his fingers as he tried and failed to yank them free, a growingly unbearable pain. Without thinking, he completely let go of the road so he could tug his hand free. He knew it was already too late—it would be crushed beyond measure now. When he looked up in desperation, Jack's eyes met with the moon again, and he yelled. Over and over until the darkness and the pain finally completely disappeared. He lay on his stomach, cold asphalt underneath him. Hand free from the universe's grip.</p><p>Cars drove in out of nowhere to park, but Jack barely even noticed them. He was too busy locking eyes with a worried-looking girl crouched on roller-blades above him.</p><p>"Hey, bean," her voice was soft, gentle. Just like he'd thought. "Are you alright?" She was beautiful, up close, more than he ever would have imagined. Her eyes were a vivid green he'd never seen on anyone before. And they were glued to him. <em>Him.</em></p><p>"I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw you step in there," she continued. "But you fixed it! Just like that."</p><p>"I feel stupid for askin'," Jack started, voice weaker than he intended. "But what did I fix, exactly?"</p><p>Rapunzel's smile warmed something inside of him. She reached a hand out, gently pushing his head to the side. Jack didn't have enough time to soak in the touch. Instead, he took to staring at the Drive-In.</p><p>Completely whole, with no void in sight.</p><p>Rapunzel's voice brought him back to reality. "The moon disappeared as soon as Elsa came over to see me. She told me you were in there—the white-haired boy, Jack. And then..." Her mind went elsewhere, eyes filled with wonder. "And then the void started repairing itself. It's gone! Everything is fixed!"</p><p>Jack brought his right hand up to his face, surprised to see it <em>wasn't </em>a crushed mess. <em>Guardian, </em>he was hearing people whisper. <em>The Moonlight's guardian. </em>It felt strange having so much attention. All he'd had before was Jamie's little gang of ankle biters. He didn't know whether he liked it or not, though that might've just been because he'd have preferred his first meeting with Rapunzel to be slightly more intimate. Her thoughts seemed to parallel with his.</p><p>"Come on," Rapunzel took his right hand in his and pulled him to his feet. She skated over to an old, yellow truck parked off to the side and opened the tail gate for them to sit on.</p><p>"Do you feel complete?" She asked, out of the blue, before shaking her head. "Sorry. It's just—I've been watching you from the Sliver for a while now, and—oh, god. That sound's creepy. I haven't been <em>watching </em>you. More like... noticing. You're hard not to notice."</p><p>"Is it my startling blue eyes?"</p><p>A blush crept over Rapunzel's cheeks as she laughed. "I'd say the entire package." She held out a hand to shake. "I'm Rapunzel, by the way. I didn't introduce myself."</p><p>"Jack," Jack said as he took her offered hand. He held it a beat longer than he should have, something Rapunzel didn't seem to mind, to his relief. "Don't you have food to serve?"</p><p>She tugged at her skirt, which brought Jack's gaze to her short, sun-kissed legs. He held himself back from reaching a hand out toward the sliver of bare skin, looking back up to meet her gaze instead. <em>Beautiful, </em>his heart yelled out. She was so, incredibly beautiful. "They can handle themselves for a few minutes without me." She reached out, suddenly, stilling Jack's heart as she cupped his face with a hand. "You feel it too, don't you? The tug. It's like I've been looking at a glass of water sitting across the room, throat dry as the sand, and now I finally have it in hand. Not that I'm comparing you to an inanimate glass of water."</p><p>Jack smiled. "Sounds like you are."</p><p>With her other hand, Rapunzel playfully shoved at his shoulder. Jack caught her wrist in his hand and pulled her closer, so they were now only inches apart. "I feel it too," he finally said. And he did. He knew the void's disappearance wasn't his doing, that was the make of some higher power, but it had filled a hole inside him that'd been empty for far too long. Hearing that he wasn't alone in that thought proved his gut hadn't been wrong. He kissed her on the cheek, then on the corner of her lips. She was the one to fully cup his jaw, to pull him into a magical kiss.</p><p>When they finally pulled away, Jack took off his jacket, wrapping it around her shoulders so she could lean back comfortably onto the truck. Her roller blades <em>thunk</em>edonto the tailgate. "They can hold the joint up a bit longer without you, right?" Jack asked, just as the first meteor fell.</p><p>"I'm long overdue for a break," Rapunzel answered. The flutter of her fingers against his sent a spark through his veins.</p><p>And so they lay there, hand in hand, staring at the stars that never faded, at the meteors sparking through them brightly. A final piece finally set in place.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I swear I tried thinking up a whole lot of different ideas for this prompt to avoid writing in the perspective of a puzzle but, for the LIFE OF ME, my brain could NOT stop finding its way back to this. And I struggled a bit with the story, as you miiiight be able to tell? Sorry for the very faint Jackunzelness. The next prompt's going to have a lot more of them, promise!</p><p>Catch you on the sea in a few days' time. Arrrgh!</p><p>Was that too big of a hint?</p><p>(Part of the Jackunzel February Special 2020)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Journey Home (M)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Rapunzel was hot despite the biting cold wind of the sea rushing outside, and it was all the captain's doing. Jack sucked at the nape of her neck as he moved against her, drawing a long moan from her lips. She ran her fingers up his back, pulling him as close to her body as she could, before moving on to his hair.</p><p>"Mmm," his mumbling was deep, husky. She tugged at his white locks to bring more out of him, and he obliged wonderfully.</p><p>"Oh, captain," she whined in pure bliss.</p><p>He pulled away from her, suddenly, eyes sinking deep inside her soul.</p><p>"<em>Jack," </em>she corrected herself with a small smile. He rewarded her with a smirk and his tongue slipping in smoothly beside her own. Her entire body buzzed with energy, with light and tingles and <em>love. </em>Pure love, and shared ecstasy.</p><p>Rapunzel tightened her bare legs around Jack's hips as they continued their rocking. Then, she gripped his pale shoulders and flipped him onto his back so she now sat atop him, in control. His chest shivered as she ran her hands across it, feeling drunk by his very presence.</p><p>This was the most ruthlessly handsome man she'd ever laid eyes upon. The youngest captain to sail the Seven Seas on a fully crewed ship. And yet he had the biggest heart she'd ever had the pleasure of knowing. One he liked to trap inside of a birdcage called his ship. <em>The Zella. </em>A nameless ship named after <em>her, </em>of every human in existence.</p><p>The way he looked at her now with heavy-lidded eyes made her question how it had taken her so long to let him in, even after he'd saved her from a life no one wished to have. It had taken him a while to break apart his cold-hearted persona to her as well, but he'd shown her vulnerability long before she could even muster to reveal hers.</p><p>He gripped her hips gently, running his hands over her thighs and back again. To places that made her insides flip completely in the most wonderful of ways.</p><p>When they were finished, Jacks head dropped against the pillow as he tried to catch his breath. After a few seconds of relishing in his sweet scent, Rapunzel sat up on his hips and brought his suddenly-distanced mind back on board with a soft finger to his chin.</p><p>"Your heads off somewhere in the moon again," she said as his ice blue eyes, warm as the sun, met her own. They were full of sadness, and love, and pain.</p><p>"Is it?"</p><p>Rapunzel nodded.</p><p>"You're beautiful."</p><p>Tingles rushed over her spine, but she ignored them, to her body's dismay. She plucked his crumpled, white, linen shirt off the bedsheets beside them and pulled it over her chest. It was much more flowy on her than it ever was on him, which was one of the reasons why she loved wearing it to bed so much. Immediately, she felt fingers playing at its hem, tugging up and down. "And you're ignoring my questions again," she told him.</p><p>Jack sighed, pulling his wandering hands away from her to palm at his eyes. "Because it's a decision I've already made. We're going for the Black Treasure."</p><p>Rapunzel shook her head in disbelief. "<em>Everyone's </em>gone for the Black Treasure, you and I both know it's a death trap." She lowered her palms to his stomach. "No one's caught word of the Golden Flower yet, save from us, the <em>Sea De Vil, </em>and the <em>Jolly Roger. </em>And <em>we're</em> the ones closest to the island, as far as word carries. It'd be stupid not to go."</p><p>Jack shifted, gently pushing at her hips until she swung off of him. While he pulled his breeches on, Rapunzel sat patiently on her legs until he grumbled: "I'm not going back to Corona. I made that clear with you before you joined the crew."</p><p>"And I haven't said a word about it in six years. It would've been longer if Nicholas hadn't told us about the sighting."</p><p>Jack shook his head again, then glanced over his shoulder at her. "It's a magic golden flower. There's no such thing."</p><p>Rapunzel smiled softly, crawling over to sit just behind his shoulder. She slid her chin down over it, wrapping her arms around his own in an embrace that set her soul of fire. "<em>I don't believe in magic," </em>she mocked, in a horrible imitation of his voice. "That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard you say, Ice Man."</p><p>"I was cursed. There's a difference."</p><p>"You've never viewed your magic as a curse before. And even if it was technically a curse, the fact that it exists is proof that this flowers' powers can very much be real, too. We can't miss the chance of someone else finding it. Imagine the gold people would pay for it—more than all the treasures we've kept and sold combined. We can treasure it, too. Keep it to ourselves."</p><p>Jack was quiet for a long moment. She knew he'd grown up on the island, same as she, but he'd never confessed why he refused so strongly to go back, and she'd never felt the right to push. She hadn't told him everything about her long years in Gothelitch either. He had a right to his own privacy as everyone else did with things that didn't involve her.</p><p>He opened his mouth to speak, finally, when a loud <em>bang! </em>suddenly sounded from the door. "When you two lovebirds are done rubbin' up all over each other," Merida, the <em>Zella</em>'s master gunner, yelled from the other side, "we got somethin' out here ya might wanna see."</p><p>"Aye!" Jack answered. The both of them hurried into their own garments and out of the captain's quarters. Out on the main deck, most of the crew stood gazing at something far off to sea.</p><p>"Ya see 'im watching us too?" Hook Hand's eyes glared under the hand pressed over his brows, shielding the sun.</p><p>"I can feel 'im," Big Nose added.</p><p>"Aye, captain! First lady," Merida sauntered over, nodding to the both of them. "Sailin' master's caught somethin' on the horizon. Gettin' easier to see by the second. Aye, Haddie," she yelled out to the sky, suddenly, where Hiccup Haddock stood on the main mast. "How's it lookin' up there?"</p><p>"Definitely him!" Hiccup yelled back. "I recommend we set sail East soon, unless we want a repetition of the blood moon!"</p><p>Rapunzel glanced at Jack, whose face was still as a frozen lake. The battle on the blood moon had been a nightmare, worse than any they'd been in. The <em>Zella </em>usually did its best to avoid physical conflict between other ships and coastal villages—it was how other pirates got their ships sunk to the ocean's bottom so quickly in their early days of sailing, or how they lost their treasure faster than they earned it, what with all the repairs it cost 'em. The <em>Zella </em>was more so of a silent threat, he'd say. We were a legend, never seen, yet wielding a deadly strike.</p><p>Their run-in with the <em>Sea De Vil </em>hadn't been planned. Jack was usually good at tricking others and tracking their thoughts long before they even made them, but he'd made a slight miss guess on Captain Crell's plans. He hadn't expected the renovations he'd given his ship months back for faster sailing. Guess someone else caught on to Jack's tricks—when you scream your plans out for the world to hear, surprise is an impossible thing to achieve. But if you put them to motion under the cover of sealed lips and well placed coins, diverting expectations most often turns victorious.</p><p>Now, that very ship was sailing straight for them, only but a small blip on the horizon. It would take a day for them for meet up if they continued on their current route.</p><p>"He's sailing for Corona," Rapunzel told him. "Heading South. We're a bonus treasure on his path."</p><p>"We're sinking him next time we meet." Jack's voice was stiff, and incredibly determined. There was no doubt in her that his words were true—the <em>Zella's </em>waseasily the toughest ship on the Seas. "The <em>Jolly Roger, </em>too."</p><p>"You really think words not going to make it to the others if we take those two down? It's a useless endeavor. They'll just cost us more gold in repair, and for what? Temporarily stopping pirates from sailing for the Golden Flower?"</p><p>Jack's lips were pressed in a neat line. She knew she was getting onto his nerves about the topic, but she was itching to head home, despite what she told him. The one thing that had kept her from dangerous thoughts after she'd been forced into white slavery was the thought of seeing her parents again. She hoped her disappearance hadn't affected their protectiveness of her sister to a point of extreme. Slavery was a common thing, but her family had cared about one another far too much to let it become an unspoken topic, she knew.</p><p>"<em>Please,</em>" Rapunzel whispered. She knew she was being cruel, torturing him this way, but she needed to see them at least one last time. She needed to know they were okay, and that she was too.</p><p>Jack refused to look at her. The pain he was trying so hard to hide in his eyes tore her heart to pieces. What was she doing to him? She knew she was right in her talk about the flower's worth, but Corona had always been the one thing he'd refused to hear talk about.</p><p>He scowled, finally, starring deep into the horizon. "Turn the sails south," he ordered.</p><p>***</p><p>They arrived at sunrise three days later. The Coronian seas were calm as they anchored down around a mountainous bend, covering them from prying eyes.</p><p>"Everyone, ready yourselves for a quick leave," Jack announced as he marched down the main deck. "I won't be long."</p><p>The crew groaned in disagreement.</p><p>"Ya mean none of us are comin' with, save for Zel?" Merida complained. "No offence, Cap, but that's idiocy at its best."</p><p>Jack shot her a dangerous look.</p><p>"You'll need Haddie for his navigation skills. And you'll need <em>me, </em>for added protection, yeah? Ain't that what we usually do?"</p><p>"This isn't a usual case," Jack informed her. But Merida had never been one to give up. It was a wonder Jack bothered keeping any of this crew around, considering how much they talked back at him. Rapunzel suspected he liked it, deep down. It made their days on the ship that much more entertaining and pleasant, considering the business they were in.</p><p>"We do make a good team," Hiccup had just climbed down from his mast, ready for departure. "<em>Zella's </em>four heads of ship."</p><p>"Fine." Jack gave in. "Shorty! Lower two boats. We leave immediately." And immediately they did. Rapunzel found herself sitting in front of an emotionless Jack in a matter of no time. His gaze was glassy, fixed on nothing as he rowed their boat off to shore. His grip on the paddles was tight; it worried Rapunzel.</p><p>"Talk to me," she said, finally, over the sound of waves tugging them along. "What are you thinking, Jack? It's no good keeping things bottled up inside. You're not a treasure map, <em>or </em>a letter lost at sea."</p><p>That brought out a brief chuckle from Jack. "It's nothing."</p><p>Rapunzel frowned. "You're worse than a lady. It's not nothing."</p><p>"Doesn't matter anyway," he shrugged.</p><p>The boat scratched to a stop against the sand, but Rapunzel made no move to get out. Instead, she hopped onto Jack's lap, legs on either side of his hips, and gently pried his fingers away from each paddle. They moved to rest on her waist, only to lower back to his side. The subtle action hurt Rapunzel more than she cared to admit. She leaned forward, oh so slowly, and slipped her tongue between his lips, soothed when she felt his hands return to caress her.</p><p>"I love you," she told him.</p><p>Jack closed his eyes, gripping at her hips with each rock of the boat. "Don't say that."</p><p>"Why not? It's true."</p><p>She felt one of his hands reaching up to rub against her hair. "It'll hurt more when you leave."</p><p>Realization dawned on her suddenly—he thought she would leave the <em>Zella </em>as soon as they docked in Corona. His sudden failed attempts at distancing himself from her made much more sense now. From the past three days, he'd been trying to rip away his attachment to her. Rapunzel gripped Jack's neck, brushing her fingers against the hair at his nape. "I just want to visit them," she clarified. "I want us all to know we're okay—that <em>I </em>am, now. The <em>Zella's </em>my new home, <em>captain</em>."</p><p>Relief flooded over Jack's face, something he was brief to show. A smirk suddenly found its way back to his lips. "Bad girl."</p><p>Rapunzel smiled against his lips, warmth swelling inside of her. "Forgive me, sweet, sweet, Jack."</p><p>"Aye!" Merida yelled from somewhere off to their left. She and Hiccup had just arrived. "Got a magic flower to find, eh?"</p><p>Hiccup chimed in, "Nicholas mentioned it was somewhere by—"</p><p>"I know where it is," Rapunzel interrupted, joining up with the others. She looked at them almost guiltily. "I might have done some of my own research after Nick clued us in. If I read the riddles right, it's on top of a hill just out of town. Oh no!" Rapunzel patted at her dress. "I drew a map of how I remembered the island! I was so excited, I must've forgot it on the ship, but that's alright," she was quick to add, grinning at Jack. "We can grab one in town—it'll be much more accurate, and we can visit my family on the way!"</p><p>"Sounds like a plan, Zel," Merida agreed, happily.</p><p>"If they're as sweet as you, we should invite them on the crew," Hiccup added, only to earn an elbow to the gut from Merida.</p><p>They all laughed, save from Jack. "I'm not going," he told them.</p><p>"Oh, but they'd love you!" Rapunzel insisted. She was quick to give up her attempts at convincing, however. She knew could do it, he'd crack in a few minutes time, but the trick in gaining a silver tongue was to know when not to push. Jack never wanted to go back home in the first place. Something must have happened in town—something he didn't want to remember. He could meet her family another time, then. "We'll meet back here in half an hour," she told Jack once they'd reached the main bridge.</p><p>"Make it an hour," Jack said, but Rapunzel shook her head, keeping it at half. If she spent too much time with the family, she might forget how strongly she loved being at sea.</p><p>She might want to stay.</p><p>Rapunzel pressed a kiss onto Jack's cheek in goodbye. Then, she followed an ecstatic Merida and Hiccup down the bridge.</p><p>Corona was just as beautiful as she remembered, with his big, brick building, and sunny flag. She'd been caught after wandering too far on the outskirts when she was but a seven year old girl. She'd spent another seven in the grips of white slavery, where dirty men used her in ways no child <em>or </em>adult should <em>ever </em>be used. When Jack had stopped by Gothelitch in search for the islands solid gold tooth box, he'd had a run-in with the head of operation, Sir Black. Merida had been the one to spot her first, and she'd convinced Jack to unleash the crew of the <em>Nameless </em>to free our group of imprisoned girls. They'd succeeded, to her surprise, despite them only having been in the pirate business for barely over a year—he'd started when he was but fourteen, Rapunzel's age at the time.</p><p>If she hadn't been so curious, she never would have left Corona. She never would of met Jack, or Merida, or Hiccup, or even the rest of the crew. She was grateful for everything that had happened to her, in a way, but she still had nightmares of her time in Gothelitch. The town itself was lovely, but it had been tainted by her reason for being there.</p><p>Hiccup located a map easily. Finding Rapunzel's parents had been harder but, with a lot of asking around, they finally found themselves before an old brick home. Her parents looked the same as she pictured, but little Poppilia was almost her height. She was seventeen now, almost a grown woman, just like Rapunzel. It hurt her to know she'd missed out on watching her grow up, on creating memories only a big sister could give her. Still, her sadness gave way to relief at knowing they were still safe and okay.</p><p>"Where have you been?" Her mother asked after many hellos.</p><p>Rapunzel briefly explained what had happened to her, sparing them of the awful detail. Only she would bare that burden. "I've been sailing on the<em> Zella</em> since," she concluded. But instead of pure joy at her safety, her family looked fearsome.</p><p>"Doesn't Captain Jack own that ship?" Poppy asked, worry etched on her brow.</p><p>"Yes," Rapunzel smiled. "He's the most wonderful man."</p><p>Her father turned to her mother. "He was an Overland, wasn't he? Left at thirteen. I remember him."</p><p>"Oh, Punzel!" Her mother sighed, taking her shoulders. "Stay with us! Please, it's so good to have you back. We'll protect you from that man." Her green eyes flicked to Merida and Hiccup, standing a few paces behind Rapunzel. "Your friends too, they're absolutely free to stay."</p><p>Rapunzel's brows formed a neat V as she pushed one of her mother's hands free of her shoulder. "I can't stay," she told them, expecting sadness, instead of the worry they all suddenly wore in their eyes. "But I'll visit. I promise."</p><p>She made to move away when her father suddenly reached for her wrist. "Sweetheart, please! Don't go back to that devil! He'll flay you, just like he did his family!"</p><p>Rapunzel stilled. She saw her friends do the same as well—except they weren't watching her father.</p><p>They were watching <em>her.</em></p><p><em>"</em>What?" Rapunzel asked her father.</p><p>"The boy murdered his entire family, an older sister and two younger brothers. Then the coward had the sense to run away and get himself into that pirate business. No one's dared chase after him, not after everything he's done."</p><p>Rapunzel's head spun wildly, a headache blooming at her temple. When she turned to Merida and Hiccup, she found them completely unsurprised by the news she just been given. It was true, then. Jack had killed his own family. That explained why he ran away—why he didn't want to come back.</p><p>Rapunzel ripped her wrist out of her father's grip. There was an explanation, there had to be! Jack wasn't a monster. But why hadn't he told her what he did? Why hadn't he...?</p><p>She stormed out of Corona, ignoring her family's pleading calls. Merida and Hiccup said nothing, but she was pleased to hear they were struggling to follow her quick pace.</p><p>"Explain!" She yelled at Jack when she found him hanging by the bridge. Tears already stained her cheeks, but she didn't attempt to wipe them away. She could see it on his face, then, the horrified realization that <em>she knows</em>. Rapunzel knew what he'd been trying so hard to hide from her.</p><p>"I..." he started, but failed to continue.</p><p>"Your own <em>family!" </em>Her yells were drawing attention from the townsfolk, but she couldn't stop, couldn't stop it with the utter pain radiating through her.</p><p>"Not to interrupt," Hiccup hesitantly started, "But can we talk about this while—"</p><p>"It's there!" Rapunzel jammed her finger over a spot his open map. "Go find your damn flower!"</p><p>Red tainted Hiccup's cheeks, sending a rush of guilt swishing through her stomach. He and Merida rushed off without another word. She'd apologize to them after—they'd done nothing wrong. This had been Jack's secret to share, and he'd failed to do so. "<em>Why?"</em></p><p>His blue eyes flashed. He glanced around them quickly. Then, he took her elbow and led her behind a nearby stand. She should have felt afraid, but he was so familiar. She'd trusted him far too much, and now her body couldn't even be afraid of him.</p><p>"It was... It wasn't me," he explained. "I mean, <em>it was, </em>but it wasn't. Not really."</p><p>Rapunzel lip quivered. "You're not making much sense."</p><p>Jack let go of her elbow and turned away from her. He rubbed a hand through his hair, pulling. Finally, they dropped tiredly to his sides. "It happened after the curse," he whispered. "I stole from the wrong lady. She was talking gibberish to me, saying how she was gonna curse me and all that. Thought she was just rattling out stuff that she knew would scare a normal kid." He shook his head, deep in memory. "I ran back home. Went to sleep thinking my brothers would have the laughs of their lives after I told them about what happened tomorrow." His shoulders shook, but Rapunzel couldn't hear him crying. "I woke up in the middle of the night. All I remember is sitting in the backyard, looking at—at their bodies, all—"</p><p>Rapunzel's hand betrayed her. She placed it over his shoulder in comfort, and he turned his face toward her in reflex. They were tear-filled; he <em>had </em>been crying after all. "You don't have to—"</p><p>"I flayed them alive. Probably did more, too, seeing how frostbitten they looked. I don't remember anything other than sitting in the yard looking at them. And then running for the fastest boat off land. I knew even then that nothing I could do would bring em' back."</p><p>Rapunzel could feel her heart wrenching, twisting harshly at the memory. How horrible must it have been to live with such a sight engrained in your mind? And she'd thought <em>she'd</em> experienced scarring things.</p><p><em>Frostbitten. </em>It explained why he'd refused to use his powers during her first years on board. It took three entire years for them to become close friends, for Rapunzel to develop a crush she hadn't known he returned until that evening in the ship's stores when they'd gotten closer than usual. "Can I kiss you?" He'd asked, face only inches from hers. He had her pressed against the wall as soon as she'd whispered, "Yes." But the flashes of her past still haunted her, then. More than they did now that she knew she was safe. It had taken her long to let him share more than simple kisses in the shadows with her.</p><p>It had taken him just as long to give in to Rapunzel's constant encouragement for him to make use of his powers.</p><p>"Did you ever try pursuing the witch?" She asked him. "Maybe she would have known how to reverse it."</p><p>Jack bobbed his head up and down. "She was Black's mistress in Gothelitch."</p><p>Betrayal bloomed inside Rapunzel like a poisoned flower. "That's why you came to the island. To the house. To get your revenge on the Great Dame. You weren't planning on saving us at all, were you?"</p><p>Jack looked away, and Rapunzel slid her hand off of him. "Please," he begged, suddenly, looking back at her with widened eyes. His hand had quickly found its way to the crook of her elbow. "The crew really did want to get you girls out of there after we made it. <em>I</em> did. You know I would never lie to anyone on board, especially not you."</p><p>Rapunzel closed her eyes as his palm reached her jaw. He pet a thumb against her cheek, sending sparks running through her skin with every stroke. "I wouldn't of hated you if you'd told me," she whispered. "I could never hate you."</p><p>"You should," he whispered back. "You really should."</p><p>"Jack," Rapunzel opened her eyes. "It wasn't your fault. What you did. Your heart's as good as the Gods above, it was the curse that—"</p><p>"There he is!"</p><p>Rapunzel twisted fast toward the street, where Poppy stood pointing with a guard at her side. Fear shot through her heart—Jack was not welcome on this island, that much was clear to her now. "Run!" He pulled him away with her, just as a gunshot sounded. Its smell soured the air around them as they ran to shore, fast as their legs could take them. More gunshots came as they found their way to their boat and started rowing. Rapunzel watched as they pulled Merida and Hiccup's boat off shore—they'd have to come find them later.</p><p>Then, one last gunshot fired, and it had its eye on Jack's back. He lurched forward as Rapunzel cried out. "Hold it!" She told him, taking charge of the rowing. Her arms were already starting to burn from the pull, but she was glad to see Jack finally do what he was told. "Rip my skirts," she added.</p><p>Despite his situation, Jack still managed to smirk. "I don't think now's the time for that, princess."</p><p>"Rip my skirts," she said again. "Use it to cover the wound until we get on deck"</p><p>"Princess," Jack struggled to hum again in her lap. He was silent for a moment as he tried and failed to move himself upward. "I can't feel my right hand, and my thigh's going numb."</p><p>Rapunzel was breathing hard, sweat beading at her brow. She rowed faster. "What?" She said, looking down at him. "You—no. No, you'll be alright." She stopped rowing, suddenly, and helped him into a sitting position at the bottom of the boat, despite his protests. She wasn't strong enough to tear the fabric of her skirts, so she made sure he kept his left sleeve against the open would while she took Jack's previous place and worked all of her energy into rowing. "You'll be alright," she kept telling him.</p><p>But the both of them knew he wouldn't be.</p><p>"The Golden Flower has healing magic, doesn't it?" Rapunzel asked.</p><p>"It'll be too late," Jack answered.</p><p>"No," she insisted. "I'll hop on a boat with Vladimir as soon as we get back. We'll tie a second one with us and carry it along for Merida and—"</p><p>"No, Zella." Jack's voice was stern, decisive. It left no room for argument. "We're going back for them, just not now. They're smart enough to hold out on their own."</p><p>"Jack," Rapunzel's voice was weak, broken. The bullet had hit his spinal cord. He was being forced to succumb to paralysis, something she couldn't imagine would ever be easy for Jack to bare, considering how active he always was. He'd realized it, too, she knew. How horrible must he be feeling, knowing his fate? And after everything he'd gone through.</p><p>It wasn't fair.</p><p>Nothing was fair.</p><p>Rapunzel cried out for the crew as soon as they were close enough to the <em>Zella. </em>Nothing was fair, that was true, but from now on, she vowed, she would make sure to make that very saying as untrue as she could.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>You guys aaaaall know which fan art inspired this. It's literally one of the first pieces you see when you google Jackunzel—so thank you, artist, for the pirate idea. It was swell to write. I wrote this in a day, after much procrastination lol. I hope you enjoyed it!</p><p>(Part of the Jackunzel February Special 2020)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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